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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
I don't know why, but I expected a much more light-hearted and optimistic read from this than I got.
But the signs were all there - the title, the dove being shot from the sky by an arrow in the cover.
This subversion of my (unreasonable) expectations was very much welcome, though. The first few stories had a much better punch because of that.
This short story collection loves proving its characters wrong, especially the more right they feel. Flannery shows in multiple stories how good intentions can have disastrous results, and how easily a self-proclaimed moral person can be blinded by their righteousness. It's refreshing how brutal this book feels and how it uses this brutality to emphasize the points it is trying to make.
But the signs were all there - the title, the dove being shot from the sky by an arrow in the cover.
This subversion of my (unreasonable) expectations was very much welcome, though. The first few stories had a much better punch because of that.
This short story collection loves proving its characters wrong, especially the more right they feel. Flannery shows in multiple stories how good intentions can have disastrous results, and how easily a self-proclaimed moral person can be blinded by their righteousness. It's refreshing how brutal this book feels and how it uses this brutality to emphasize the points it is trying to make.
This is one of those books probably better served in an academic setting. Though I enjoy those and can get through them on my own most of the time, I found myself having to use a lot of outside research to fully understand all the allegories and metaphors - mostly religious - contained in these stories. The writing is beautiful but the messages went over my head way too often. Am I dumb? lol
dark
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Classism
I really, really loved [b:Wise Blood|48467|Wise Blood|Flannery O'Connor|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389629799s/48467.jpg|1046530] and was excited to dive into more of O'Connor's work, however this collection wasn't as compelling for me. Although she is arguably better known for her short stories, to me it was more trying to read through story after story of miserable people versus sticking with one. Not that it was a party hanging out with Hazel for 200 pages, but in short story form the creativity and uniqueness of her writing is flatlined by seeing the same shtick seven times over.
That's not to say that she doesn't always pull off her shtick, which is to showcase generally abhorrent characters who think they're better than those around them (either because they're ignorant racist folks or enlightened educated folks who look down on ignorant folks) and give us a peek into their miserable lives before typically having them succumb to a gruesome demise or transformation catalyzed by brutal absurdity, with heavily religious themes throughout. She gets that right each time, but when they're read back to back it can become a bit stale, I think.
I would assume that the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke's Gospel is a favorite of O'Connor's, as the majority of her characters undergo a shift from arrogant, judgemental pride to humility that mirror what occurs there. This is more obvious in "Revelation," my favorite of the collection, which showcases a "good church-going woman" who in the end sees all the "white trash" and Black people she sees herself so superior to going into Heaven before her. However, it was also interestingly executed in "The Lame Shall Enter First" when we see a humanistic atheist eventually come to terms with his inability to save other people and his ultimately self-serving intentions for doing so. This is echoed in the titular story and "The Enduring Chill" as well, although those "progressive" protagonists were more grotesquely caricatured.
That's not to say that she doesn't always pull off her shtick, which is to showcase generally abhorrent characters who think they're better than those around them (either because they're ignorant racist folks or enlightened educated folks who look down on ignorant folks) and give us a peek into their miserable lives before typically having them succumb to a gruesome demise or transformation catalyzed by brutal absurdity, with heavily religious themes throughout. She gets that right each time, but when they're read back to back it can become a bit stale, I think.
I would assume that the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke's Gospel is a favorite of O'Connor's, as the majority of her characters undergo a shift from arrogant, judgemental pride to humility that mirror what occurs there. This is more obvious in "Revelation," my favorite of the collection, which showcases a "good church-going woman" who in the end sees all the "white trash" and Black people she sees herself so superior to going into Heaven before her. However, it was also interestingly executed in "The Lame Shall Enter First" when we see a humanistic atheist eventually come to terms with his inability to save other people and his ultimately self-serving intentions for doing so. This is echoed in the titular story and "The Enduring Chill" as well, although those "progressive" protagonists were more grotesquely caricatured.
Flannery O'Connor has an obsession with Christian-themed violence (and okay that sounds terrible out of context lol). Technically speaking, it's weird, unless you buy into the messages she's going for and then it kinda works?
That aside, I think I actually wound up liking this collection overall more than A Good Man is Hard to Find, even though her last three stories in this one veer towards more conspicuously religious, introspective territory even by her own standards. Maybe it doesn't affect me as much cause I'm used to reading Christian themed works from my upbringing, but in any case, the uniquely Southern flavor of the themes explored here are as good as ever. My thoughts otherwise are more or less consistent with my previous review (see link above).
personal highlights: The title story, "The Lame Shall Enter First", "Revelation"
That aside, I think I actually wound up liking this collection overall more than A Good Man is Hard to Find, even though her last three stories in this one veer towards more conspicuously religious, introspective territory even by her own standards. Maybe it doesn't affect me as much cause I'm used to reading Christian themed works from my upbringing, but in any case, the uniquely Southern flavor of the themes explored here are as good as ever. My thoughts otherwise are more or less consistent with my previous review (see link above).
personal highlights: The title story, "The Lame Shall Enter First", "Revelation"
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If there is one consistent theme across these stories, it is the indignant cry of "But I'm a good person!" O'Connor once again uses the extremities of everyday life in post-war Georgia to ask universal questions about how we define ourselves and what a sense of inherent goodness can justify.
Looking beyond the surface, you will find yourself frequently reflected in the bruised pride and self-righteousness of these characters. The answers they find rarely provide permanent solace. Which makes sense because mine don't either, and I imagine neither do yours.
Looking beyond the surface, you will find yourself frequently reflected in the bruised pride and self-righteousness of these characters. The answers they find rarely provide permanent solace. Which makes sense because mine don't either, and I imagine neither do yours.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes